Al-Quds University (Palestine)

The call for creating a Palestinian university in Jerusalem was first made at an Islamic conference in Jerusalem in 1931. The university remained just an idea until the early 1970s when discussions started once more to establish a Palestinian university able to absorb the students matriculating from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Due to circumstances created by the 1967 occupation, these students could not easily seek education in the Arab world. In the late 1970s, several independent colleges were established in Jerusalem and its suburbs in response to this need. These colleges were officially amalgamated in 1995 to form Al-Quds University. Al-Quds University’s Website>>

Institutional Profile:

“The university strives to play a leadership role in the cultural, intellectual, and educational life of the Arab Community in Jerusalem. As part of its contribution to the development of its community, the university seeks to promote a culture of service, which encourages the development of personal and community responsibility. The university also seeks to develop national and international cooperative projects for the improvement of the socioeconomic conditions of the Palestinian community, and to develop programs and centers that respond proactively to the needs of the community and promote an environment free of want and injustice.” Read more of Al-Quds University’s Institutional Profile>>

The Community Action Center

The Community Action Center is a Palestinian community rights-based practice center established under the umbrella of Al-Quds University. The center engages marginalized groups and empowers them to fully participate in their community. This is accomplished through individual social and legal advocacy, community organization, and participation in decision-making bodies. Empowering the disadvantaged to access their social and economic rights and entitlements through democratic means is the key to developing a civil society and fostering equal partnership in a peaceful democracy. Learn more at the CAC website>>